CMW News - Chinmaya Mission New York

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CHINMAYA MISSION WEST BIMONTHLY NEWSLETTER
January 2009, No. 127
In This Issue
SPIRITUAL TRAILS
We Can. We Must.
Dive into the Present
a dialogue
Travelogue
IN HIS PRESENCE
Krishna Gets a Heart
Thank You!
NEWS & EVENTS
Mahasamadhi Camp 2009 Invitation
ChinmayaChannel.com
10,000 Photographs of Pujya Gurudev
Hanuman Chalisa: Yajna and Havan
CHYK Toronto Leaps Forward
CM Los Angeles: Sevanjali 2008
Learn Vedic Chanting Online
CM Trinidad: Never a Dull Moment
CM Ottawa Youth Camp
CM Toronto’s Memorable 2008
CM Phoenix Hosts 'Essence of Gita'
CHYK Ann Arbor: Thanksgiving Reunion
Chinmaya Sanjeevani Is Blossoming
ANNOUNCEMENTS
21 Weeks with Lord Ganesha!
Dharma Sevak Course 2009
Young Married Couples Seminar
CMW Residential Vedanta Course
New Chinmaya Publications
Mission Statement
To provide to individuals, from any background, the wisdom of Vedanta, and the practical means for
spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become positive contributors to society.
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d
His Holiness Swami Tapovanam
T
hose who have intense love for God love solitary places like Gomukhi,
which proclaim the glory of the Lord. There is nothing here that does not help
the enjoyment of contemplation and prayer. This solitary place is extremely
suitable to people who see God, who love God, or who meditate upon God,
for they require no external assistance in their activities. Solitude serves them
best to perfect their discipline. This region is unrivaled not only in its perpetual
solitude, but also in its clear, pure, spiritual atmosphere, and so it aids the
bhakta, as well as the jnani, to reach easily the state of samadhi, which is the
culmination of jnana, bhakti, and dhyana.
Source: Wanderings in the Himalayas
d
His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda
T
he entire universe is but your own essential form; you are not separate
from it. An individual is not built like a radio is built. He cannot come into
being by assembling parts, by welding the head onto a neck, by connecting the
brain to the heart, by screwing in a liver, by wiring the kidney to the bladder.
Head, neck, lungs, liver, kidney, heart are separate names but not separate
events. And these events grow simultaneously and independently. Similarly, the
individual is separate from the universal environment only in name. Hence
the rishis describe this hallucination called jagat as just a bundle of names and
forms. Virata, the entire cosmos, is your form. You are the infinite Self. Society
is but your extended mind and body.
Source: Scraps n' Bits
d
His Holiness Swami Tejomayananda
M
eaningless activities without any foundation of vision, knowledge, and
understanding can lead only to fever, and so the phrase, “feverish activity.”
This kind of activity leads to stress, what people perpetually succumb to these
days. Then they attend various seminars on “Stress-free Living.” But often, the
one who organizes the workshop is under the stress of whether the seminar
will be a success or not. This is because we give importance only to the action,
not the vision. So we end up assimilating a life of action, without vision, which
is, in short, a life of dynamite (not dynamism) with bombs exploding here,
there, and everywhere.
A life of dynamism is one where there is a combination of great vision and action, which comes from
quietude, contemplation, and inspiration. All great masters lived a great part of their lives in solitude.
Source: Article in India Post, February 29, 2008
Click here for Pujya Guruji’s Itinerary
Spiritual Trails
We Can. We Must.
Talk by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda
Transcribed by Neha Tanna
Continued from CMW News, November 2008
W
this. Adopting a value has to be because I want to
change, not whether others are changing or not.
here we don’t have faith in ourselves,
negative thinking doesn’t allow us to change. We
think:
We have seen what we can do, why we are not able
to do, and why we should do. Now the million
dollar question is how to do. From where does
one begin? If I want to bring a transformation in
myself, because the glory of human life is that I
can change, how to do it?
1. I am just one person. By one person
changing, what help will it be?
2. Why should I be the only one to change?
Many others should also be doing this.
We wish everyone a very happy new year, but have
we asked how to be that happy? In our case, only
the date and calendar change, but life doesn’t
change. Do you know why? Because “If you always
do what you always did, then you will always get
what you always got.” No change.
People talk about not changing unless others
change even in their own families: “I am the only
one in this house who worries. No one has any
concern. And when I ask why, I am told, ‘Why
should two people do the same job? One person
is worrying, so why should everyone worry?’”
So, sometimes it is laziness, sometimes it is fear,
sometimes it is people thinking why should I alone
do or change, sometimes it is people thinking
why change because one person cannot make the
difference. These are peculiar ways of thinking,
and therefore, even though we know what we can
and what we must, we don’t do it. And this is the
reason why life goes on in the same way.
In a factory, during lunch hour, there was a
man who always opened his lunchbox with great
excitement among all his friends. He would say,
“I am very hungry today. I want to see what
my lunch is.” And every day, he would open his
lunchbox and there would be the same sandwich.
Every day it was the same thing—the excitement
and enthusiasm before opening, but it was always
the same sandwich. His friend used to hear this
every day, so he asked, “Why don’t you ask your
wife to cook something different?” The man
replied, “Who else is there at home? I’m the one
who makes it!” So he makes, packs, brings and
then expects something different. His friend asked
him, “So how come you get so excited every day?”
He said, “I just think someday some miracle will
happen. But it hasn’t yet.”
Before we consider how to do, we have to know
why we should do. Someone says, “We can, but
why should we change?” We cannot think we
shouldn’t change because other people are not
going to. If my friend gets a heart attack and does
not go to doctor, will I say why should I go if he
doesn’t go and others don’t go? Our living a life of
higher values has nothing to do with how others
live. Honesty is not practiced for some other gain;
it is practiced for its own sake, because it is a value
in itself. If I don’t live values I value, I create a split
personality in myself.
We always go on doing the same thing, the same
routine, so how will change come? If change has to
be brought in, I have to change today. Because I
may live for 75 years or 120 years, or my astrologer
may tell me when I am 20 that I will live for 80
years. But in all this, I can only live one day at a
time. I may have all those years, but I cannot live
All values, including honesty, have the peculiar
quality that they have to be 100% only. It doesn’t
help to say, “I am 99% honest.” A one percent
loss is acceptable on a mathematics test, but not in
4
them all at one time. If I have to bring a change in
my whole life, today is the unit of my life. Today if
I have not changed, and I say from tomorrow I will
do it, tomorrow never comes. So I have to change
today, take care of today, but even today there are
24 hours. So only the present hour is actually where
I can change. In this hour there are 60 minutes, and
you know that if an accident has to happen, even
a fraction of a second is enough. The whole world
can change for you in that fraction of a second. If
someone asks you, “In your life so far of 40 or 50
years, what do you remember most vividly?” You will
find that only a certain moment you remember—not
many years, months, or days. Only certain moments.
These moments that have changed your life, defined
your life, could be most tragic, or most delightful,
or when you met with your [spiritual] master—and
you were not the same person again. That moment.
So this is the secret: If I have to change, I have to
change at this moment.
don’t, and how, and where to begin, the questions
begin again. Here also, the scriptures are very
practical and say beautiful things. I won’t go into
too much detail, but a few points we should keep
in mind of how to change:
1. Be very careful about the source of
thoughts that enter into your mind. This
is called agamaha. Its literal meaning
is the Vedas; it refers to what kind of
literature we read, what we hear, what
kind of thoughts that come to us from
all directions. In the Vedas, the rishis
prayed, “May noble thoughts come to us
from all directions. . . . May my mind be
filled with noble, auspicious, and good
thoughts,” because it is only through
thoughts that our life is built. If you want
to change, change your thought pattern,
what you read, what you hear. This is very
important.
There was a man and on the door of his house,
there was a knock, knock. “Who’s there?” The
answer came: “Opportunity.” And the man inside
said, “Can’t be. Opportunity doesn’t knock twice.”
So if at a given moment opportunity comes and
you grab it, you can change. Otherwise, you don’t
know when you will get the chance again. If we
have to change, it has to be at this moment. And
there has to be complete transformation—one’s
very outlook has to change. Otherwise, if we
continue living with the same kind of thinking,
value system, emotions, and actions, no change will
take place. We can change. And it is change only if
it comes now.
2. What kind of company you keep is
important. There are some ten factors
enumerated in Bhagavatam—what kind
of thoughts, what kind of food and drink
you intake—all these have an influence on
your mind and your life.
3. What kind of time you keep. Time is
another interesting factor. I read a story
of a kingdom that has a kind-hearted
and compassionate king who told all the
people of his kingdom, “I have a bank and
I have opened an account in the name of
each individual, and every day there will
be $24 million in your name. You have all
the freedom to spend that money as you
like and no one will question you. And the
next day, again there will be $24 million
in your account.” This is the kingdom of
God. It is not too far, and the benevolent
king is none other than God. Where is
my bank account? Every morning I get
up, there are 24 hours of life in front of
me. No one questions me how I am going
to spend this time. And when this time is
over, again 24 hours are given to me. Time
is money. People charge by the hour. How
much time we have! But what we have
done with our time? One old man went to
meet his friend, but his friend was not at
home. So he started talking to his friend’s
daughter-in-law. She was a young lady and
they knew each other for long time. The
Narada Bhakti Sutras is a beautiful text in which
Narada Muni says, “Change now.” We may
say, “You do not know, Naradji, how busy our
household life is—how many duties, how many
responsibilities, how many problems, how many
ups and downs there are. Let my daughter’s
marriage be over, then I will do this. Let my
son graduate . . . Let me retire . . .” Naradji
says not to spend even half a moment waiting
for an ideal or conducive time when everything
will be wonderful or there will be no problem
of any kind to change the course of your life. It
will never happen. It is like a man standing on
the seashore waiting for all the waves to subside
so that he can bathe in the sea. Will it happen?
What you have to do, do it now only.
When I understand the seriousness of what I can,
and why I can and should, and why I can’t and
5
old man asked her, “How old are you?”
She said she was 25 years old. He asked,
“How old is your husband?” She said he
was 15 years old. He asked, “How old is
your father-in-law?” She said he was 10
years old and that her mother-in-law had
just been born. The old man thought she
must be very unhappy or very angry with
her husband and in-laws. He asked her
why she said what she did. She said, “I am
actually 35 years old, but I said 25 because
the first 10 years of my life I wasted doing
nothing. I didn’t do anything good; I
didn’t think anything good; I didn’t
do anything to worship God. So I really
cannot count those 10 years. My husband
started doing his spiritual sadhana and seva
15 years ago, which is why I said he was
15. My father-in-law started 10 years ago
and my mother-in-law just started.” The
story may sound funny, but is asks a serious
questions. What do we consider as precious
time? How do we spend our time?
We can do many things—ugly, beautiful, noble
–but this human life is most precious and it is
meant for transformation. So the best thing we
can do is transform ourselves. And we should not
waste any moment in useless things like laziness
or fear or doubt as to why we should change
for the better. When we become positive in this
way, there is instant change and it blesses us as
well as others. This is called positive thinking.
Some have peculiar positive thinking. One man
said, “All this is right, but I don’t think I can.
I don’t think things will work out for me.” His
friend said, “Think positively.” The man said,
“Yes, I am positive things will not work out
for me.” This is not positive thinking. Positive
thinking is, “God will certainly bless us. We can.
We must. We will. We are not alone. God is with
us, so we can.”
There was a poor, old woman in a village and
she told someone I want to build a church in
this village. The man asked, “Do you know
how much it is to build a church? How much
do you have?” She said, “I have one dollar.” He
laughed. She said, “Here is one dollar. Here is
me. And here is God with me.” This kind of
faith brings change.
When we take care of our food, our thoughts,
our company, our time, our actions—
everything now and here—then change takes
place. And this is what we can and we must.
6
Dharma Sevak Course
June 13-27, 2009
Krishnalaya, CMW Retreat Center
Piercy, Northern California
Conducted by
Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda
Text
Panchadashi, Chapter 7
Registration
(includes lodging/boarding; excludes transportation)
• Full Course only: $1,200 per person
• This camp is for adults only, and is not
a family camp. Space is limited. Register early.
• Arrive at San Francisco Airport on June
13. Our chartered bus will leave for Piercy
at 2 p.m.
• Departure will be on June 28 at 5:30 a.m.,
for arrival at San Francisco Airport at 11 a.m.
d
To get more information or to register
(online registration is available), go to
www.chinmayamission.org/krishnalaya.
For specific questions, e-mail
[email protected]
or call (707) 207-5011.
d
Dive into the Present
by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda
Reprinted from Vedanta Vani, April-May 2008
A
ll that was in the past is Brahman. All that
will be also is only Brahman. The present is not
indicated, only because the present is not divorced
from, and has no existence apart from, the past
and the future. The future tumbling down into the
past; that tumbling portion, that point of merger,
is called the present. The present, then, may be
said to be the future cascading into the past.
Actually, if you try to capture the present, there is
no present; it is ever moving. It is either the past or
the future. Before we can grasp it, it is already the
past; it has already become the future again. Before
the thought is recognized, before the thought has
arisen, and before we can conceive the thought, it
is a past thought.
The present is indicated so clearly in the
Upanishads, where it is not even mentioned. And
by avoiding the very mention of it, the teacher
takes us nearer to the reflection of the Truth, for
what is not said is sometimes nearer to the Truth
than what is said.
It is the future merging with the past that is the
present. That threshold at which the future merges
with the past to become the present, that marginal
line, that frontier line of the ridge, is not seen now
because of the flood of thoughts continually going
out. If I can reach that ridge and stay there, I have
to allow my past thoughts to exhaust themselves
and not allow new thoughts to come. That halt
in the thought-current is the end of the mind, or
mano-nasha. Where the mind is thus annihilated,
there is the experience of Infinitude.
In this tumultuous welter, where the future is
merging with the past, there we stand in the
flood of thoughts. If we want to be able to
recognize the present, we are not to identify with
past thoughts. We have to stop the future from
coming into the present, for it is in between the
two—between the last thought “thought-ed”
and the next new thought—that silence alone is
the present. By the time you conceive a thought,
it is already in the past; it is only a memory. All
thoughts are only memories. The future thoughts
that have not yet arisen, and are potentially there
because of vasanas, cannot affect us. In fact,
past thoughts cannot touch us either. They can
affect us only as future thoughts. The potential
thoughts manifesting at a particular time alone
can affect us—that, too, they can affect us only
when we are identifying with them.
Infinitude is in the present. But we never live in
the present; we are always conditioned by the past
and the future. To avoid the past and the future,
take to karma yoga, the method of preparation for
the discovery of the contents of the present.
To stay as I am is the present. This condition
is samadhi: sama (same) plus dhi (buddhi, or
intellect) is equivalent to no flux. Thought
(sankalpa) takes place because of vasanas
(impressions). When the last thought has ended
and a new thought is not yet born, then what
am I? Pure, objectless awareness. Objectless
awareness of pure Consciousness is the present.
When I am in the present, there are no thought
waves. Since there are no thought waves in the
body, mind, or intellect, naturally, there are no
objects, emotions, or thoughts either. Then, the
entire world seems to have dissolved and rolled
into me.
In meditation, when we are detached from
thoughts, we reach the present. And if we can
reach the present and stay there, the thought
flow ceases. That is the Infinite. Therefore, it
is said that the content of the present moment
is infinite. That is Peace. The silence between
thoughts is the present.
“He alone is all that was, and all that will be, the
Eternal. Knowing Him, one goes beyond the sting
8
of death. There is no other way to reach complete
Freedom (Kaivalya Upanishad, 9).”
Tsunami, A Pool of Peace
When such a man of Realization looks out, he
sees his own Self everywhere. At that point, he
is in the Present.
Rising, roaring
wall
of tsunami,
unseen, unheard,
unacknowledged,
far away.
Dragging, sucking
pull of tsunami.
Illusory quiet.
Returning, banging
howls of tsunami;
shambling, ripping
disarray!
. . . Sweep that ego
into the tsunami . . .
and
. . . buried . . .
beneath its towering twist . . .
fathom
the perfect
pool of peace.
Allow the present thought to die away without
even making the exertion of killing it. The next
thought may be ready to come, but I have no time
for it: I am too interested in being in the present.
If this is so, I dive, as it were, between the two
waves. Thereafter, at the point where I dived, even
if a mountainous wave comes, it does not affect
me: I am one with the Ocean. In this way, dive
between the thoughts.
Here, “wave” means a wave of thoughts. What
does it matter if huge waves come? Once you
have dived, you are one with the depth of the
ocean; nothing can touch you. If you want to slip
and fall, then fall, but not on top of the wave to
get tossed about. Fall between the waves and get
into meditation.
to be continued
Unbeknownst they arise. Whirling, devastating
tsunami of thoughts. Suppress them and there is
only deceptive calm. Acknowledge them as ego
and they vanish, leaving peace.
- Chetana Neerchal 9
From the Desk of Swami Tejomayananda
To: All Members of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide
Blessed Self,
Hari OM!
I am pleased to inform you that the second phase of Chinmaya Vibhooti is nearing completion in
January 2009. The third phase will commence soon after that. The main feature of this third phase
will be the temple of Lord Ganesha—named Shri Pranava Ganesha—on the hilltop. To make this
temple project a successful and memorable event, we have designed a new initiative in which all our
Chinmaya Family can easily participate.
21 WEEKS WITH LORD GANESHA!
• Each participating devotee should write the mantra, “OM GAM GANAPATAYE NAMAH”—
in any language—everyday, 21 times, continuously for 21 weeks (147 days) only.
• Each week, each devotee should make some offering as well, of Rs. 11 or $11 (it can be more or
less).
• Each devotee can start writing on any day, but once started, it must be done everyday for 21
weeks continuously.
• Upon completion, devotees should send their notebooks and offerings to their local center or to
Central Chinmaya Mission Trust (Saki Vihar Road, Powai, Mumbai 400 072 India).
• The notebooks received will be deposited directly under the shrine on the day of the temple’s
consecration. The funds received will be utilized for the temple.
• Please encourage your children also to write this mantra. They can make an offering of Rs. 1 or
$1 each week.
It is said that prayers go up and blessings come down! Lord Ganesha’s blessings will be with you
forever. While writing this mantra, pray to Lord Ganesha for the peace, prosperity, and happiness
of all.
May the Lord’s grace and Pujya Gurudev’s blessings be with you!
In the Service of the Lord,
Tejomayananda
a dialogue
by anonymous
t: the love taught in the scriptures is never to
beings. this love is for of the truth, the self alone—
the self that expresses as beings.
s: arm’s distance is the answer. no love is right
unless it is love of or for the self. so, until i see all
as my self, this love, feeling, whatever—none of it
will ever be right.
t: yes.
s: but if love isn’t to beings and only for the self,
then why so much talk about “love all, serve all”?
this should be prefaced with, “don’t try this until
you see the self first.” how can one be asked to
serve society when one is still diseased? this kind of
service, love, compassion won’t be right until the
self is known first.
t: to a seeker, what is said is, mind your mind,
which is capable of creating disturbances—
“kurmonganiva sarvashah, yoginah karma
kurvanti atma-shuddhaye.”
student: some spiritual seekers get married and
some don’t. i want to have the right vision of
marital life and the right vision of spiritual life. can
the two go together?
s: what shuddhi? the mind’s nature is impurity.
atman is that which is ever pure. it’s like chasing
your tail. this conversation is pointless right now.
my mind wont accept anything.
teacher: if they had no such vasana, they would
have not chosen to get married. the fact is that
they have chosen this path. married life is a station,
and not a destination. The guru can bring clarity
in a seeker’s life, but this life is his to live. no one
else is responsible for it—just as pharmaceutical
companies make medicines and doctors prescribe
them, but it is the patient’s job to take the
medication regularly and get cured.
t: okay.
s: what is said is right, but there is too much anger
in this mind now. because it’s as if . . . why didn’t
you just confine me and say, “get the goal first”?
the cave is the right place to go first—then serve. i
tried the other way around, because i wasn’t ready
for the cave. why didn’t you call me only when i
was ready? i can’t wait now for another life to even
be finally ready for the cave! i’ve been cheated:
“god will take care of everything.” well, he hasn’t.
there is no point expecting anything from the
changing world. one goes through one’s share of
painful failures. the failures and pain may be many
and intense, but all these help one learn detachment.
t: okay. . . . you want to hear something beautiful?
it just came out in last the satsanga. the study of
scriptures gives vision. vision must help us change
our attitude (bhava shuddhi), and this must translate
into right conduct or lifestyle (vyavahara shuddhi),
for this will lead to antah-karana shuddhi, which
gives quietude of mind, which, in turn, leads to
s: i don’t know what intense love the scriptures
talk about. i have tried to walk this way of
intense love, but then i got kicked into learning
that this was attachment, not love. so much for
intense love.
11
sakshi bhava, or “witnessing conciousness.” long
and firm abidance in this state grants absorption
(nirvikalpa samadhi).
liked it?
s: yes. i have a question. there is much written
about surrendering fully, in all ways, as you are,
with whatever flaws. and then in shrimad bhagavad
gita, shri krishna says, “i am only good desires.”
so, which is it? is he [the lord, also expressing as]
duryodhana? or just arjuna?
t: i am trying to understand your question. dharmaaviruddho bhuteshu kamosmi bharatarshabhah.
s: is he duryodhana or just arjuna? duryodhana
said, “i am doing as the lord has directed.” arjuna
said the same. in gita, shri krishna says, “i am that
(type of) desire that is on the side of dharma” and
not adharmik desire. but there isn’t anything but
him, so what’s his point of saying this?
t: when he says sthavaranam himalayah, or
“amongst all the immovable, know me to be
himalaya,” it does mean that he is not all. the
purpose of vibhuti yoga is to show divinity to one
who cannot see it in all. those wonders distinguished
by the lord become an ideal for upasana.
start seeing divinity in one, and it will spread.
s: but why doesn’t he say, “of all desires, i am
this best kind”? he makes such statements for
mountains, rishis, etc.
t: when he was talking of various thoughts in the
mind, he said i am desire. but for one who has not
purified his inner instruments to see oneness, a
statement like, “i am desire” can be self-destructive.
therefore, the lord covers up and says, “dharma
aviruddhah.”
do you know why he said kama i am? after all, is
there anything other than him? vibhuti means all
his powerful, mighty manifestations. and desire
is the mightiest of all. this is why kama is listed
as a vibhuti.
s: now that’s a good point.
I thought you said it was a rope!
12
- Vijay Kumar
travelogue
The Grounds for Fulfillment
Life as a Brahmachari in the 13th Vedanta Course
by Acharya Vivek Gupta
Continued from CMW News, November 2008
F
or the first five months of the course, from
4 to 5 p.m., all the students were engaged in
Narayana Seva (serving the Leader of men)—and
what better manner could there be than the upkeep
of our own ashram where hundreds of thousands
sought refuge. Considering the many facets of
Sandeepany, our seva, too, took many forms—from
sweeping the walkways to counting coins in the
office, to computerizing the library, to name a few.
Serving others, like living in an ashram, provides an
opportunity for personal growth. More specifically,
we became aware that true and lasting peace is
within us and not without us. We came to realize
how little we need and this is exactly what Guruji
told us at the start of the course, “You will be given
what you need. If it is not given, you do not need
it.” After five months, we were not allocated a
specific hour to perform Narayana Seva and had to
make time in our already tight routine—a true test
of our limits.
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
Was 4 p.m. a break then? Actually, yes. A break from
mundane existence, for our Shrimad Bhagavad
Gita classes began. As humanity passes from one
age to another, its language is not spared. The best
example of this is the dialogue between Bhagavan
Shri Krishna and Arjuna, which is nothing but
the eternal dialogue between our rishis and their
shishyas, as found in the Upanishads. The context
has changed, but not the content. With tears in
his eyes, Guruji brought tears to all as He lovingly
taught what Bhagavan Shri Krishna taught. Duty,
surrender, and knowledge unfolds fearlessness . . .
unfolds bliss.
As soon as class commenced, it was completed, and
we all floated to our rooms in the hope of assimilating
even a fraction of what had been expounded.
Studying Vedanta is a unique . . . process. A process
because once taken up, one’s whole life is pervaded
by it, and one comes to understand that apparently
13
different activities are exactly that: apparent. If not
reflecting during a discourse, students were found
reading before the discourse or making notes after
the discourse. When not engaged in any of these
activities, they were practicing spiritual disciplines
so that information becomes wisdom. For the
next hour and some, most students were found in
sadhana, which included bathing before going to
the temple.
Evenings at Jagadishvara Mandir are memories
that cannot be forgotten even if one tried. Slowly,
all the brahmacharins, along with devotees from
all over Mumbai, gathered for arati. Commencing
at 6:25 p.m., students took turn leading the chants
and prayers for Shruti Mata, Hanumanji, Shivji,
and more. With Ganeshji invoked, the massive
temple bells and conches sounded, beckoning all
to leave their worldliness behind and find solace in
the Lord. The daily arati concluded with a hymn
to Ganga Mata and the priests offering auspicious
light and ash to all.
Considering ours was the 13th batch at Sandeepany
for the Vedanta Course, the designed curriculum
was flawless. Gurudev had known from the first
batch that our heads were exercised all day, so
evening was the time to address the heart. Our
satsangs immediately following arati were filled with
devotional singing and musical accompaniments.
The public actively participated and appreciated
our gatherings. The highlight of satsang was
Guruji’s line by line explanation of the entire Shri
Ramacharitramanasa, the first time He has done
this in a Vedanta Course. We all journeyed alongside
Bhagavan Rama, from His promise to incarnate,
to His exile, to His victory over Ravana. Just as
Bhagavan Rama celebrated His birth, His marriage,
His return to Ayodhya, etc., so did everyone at
Jagadishvara Mandir—literally.
With the final peace invocation for the day, Guruji
slowly exited, blessing one and all alike. Naturally,
wanting to be as close to one’s guru as possible,
many devotees and disciples accompanied him to
his kutir after taking prasad.
After a solid day of satsang and sadhana, the
Annakshetra once again called us. Dinner at
Sandeepany was the same as lunch, the only
difference being the far more relaxed atmosphere,
considering many of the acharyas did not partake
in dinner and the office staff was not around. A
quiet meal in a quiet surrounding truly gives rise
to sattva.
Where to next? Tamas of course! A day filled with
sattva and rajas must culminate in the universal
equalizer: sleep. Before this appointment however,
a variety of traditions took place. Some chatted,
others walked. Some wrote letters, other listened
to music. All slowly gave into physical, mental, and
intellectual weariness. Not in the typical sense as
the material world feels at the end of the day, but
more along the lines of krta-krtya, or “fulfillment.”
A Master Plan
Sandeepany Sadhanalaya is redefining the ashram
concept, for the better. Gone are the days of having
to live in a gurukula for a minimum of 12 years
studying Sanskrit grammar, logic, etc. Gurudev
envisioned a world where Vedanta could reach every
house whether one is a brahmachari or grhasthi. And
knowing fully well this could only become a reality
through a network of acharyas who are so inspired
by their guru’s love and shastra’s Truth that they,
in their fulfillment, would share the same with the
masses. In turn, those devotees who recognize the
greatness of such services, give back to Chinmaya
Mission to enable more spiritual activities like study
groups, jnana yajnas, and Vedanta courses.
Whether seeking in your own home, in a lecture
hall, or in an ashram, the Mission demands no
financial commitment. The choice to give or not is
left to the beneficiary. For the 13th Vedanta Course,
the expenses for more than half the students were
covered by a single donor.
In spite of all circumstances, Sandeepany
Sadhanalaya distinctly retains its ashram
atmosphere. The premise behind a gurukula is for
the shishyas to watch their guru live the truths he/
she teaches. Doing so adheres to the psychological
logic of role-modeling, where the student slowly
becomes the teacher. This is nowhere better seen
than within Chinmaya Mission. During our course,
on many occasions, Guruji would be unable to teach
for He was either traveling the world conducting
spiritual camps, or, in some cases, dealing with an
illness. During one of his absences, dozens of other
acharyas, each with their own strengths and styles,
stepped up to ensure the completion of all the
67 texts in our syllabus. Though all our Vedantic
classes were taught by sannyasis, some of our
organizational classes were taught by graduates of
past Vedanta Courses.
Again, redefining yet not selling out the vision of an
ashram, after completing over two years of intense
spiritual studies, one has the choice to serve with
Chinmaya Mission or to go one’s own way. And
this freedom is given because regardless of which
path is chosen one has become a better human
being and will help others become the same.
to be continued
14
®
CHINMAYA MISSION WEST
YOUNG MARRIED COUPLES SEMINAR
Blessed Self,
Hari OM. Chinmaya Mission West is pleased to announce
“Making Sense of Chaos,” a two-day seminar exclusively for young
married couples between the ages of 25 and 38 years.
The seminar sessions will be in the form of discourses, group discussions,
Q&A, and interactive workshops. Topics addressed will include the
following:
• Vision of Life with respect to Marriage
• Joys and Challenges of Married Life
• Parenting
• Dealing with Emotions and Relations
Dates: July 25-26, 2009
Venue: Chinmaya Avantika,
Chinmaya Mission Ann Arbor, Michigan
Faculty
• Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda
• Acharya Smt. Vilasini Balakrishnan (CM Washington DC, Masters
in Counseling, Licensed Professional Counselor)
• Acharya Smt. Sharada Kumar (CM Ann Arbor)
Seminar Registration: $200 per couple
To register or get more details, visit www.chinmayamission.org/
annarbor or e-mail [email protected]. Nearby motel/
hotel accommodations are available at an additional cost.
Details will be posted online.
reflections
Krishna Gets a Heart
by Anjali Singh
Continued from CMW News, November 2008
We came to BHEL very excitedly to relate to
Swamiji the whole story of how we found the
heart. After hearing the first part of my story (up
to my prayer to Gangaji), Swamiji was ushered into
the BHEL dining hall for breakfast along with a
host of people. While walking away, he looked back
and asked with great interest: “So, did you find it?”
“Yes!” I said happily! It was one of those moments
in life when I was excited that I got my prayers
answered. It reassures one that Someone is really
looking after you, and I have always looked upon
Gangaji as Mother. Whenever I have visited Her,
some change takes place in my life.
Swamiji was seated at the head of the table. After
most of the seats were occupied by the trustees
and principals of the college and the Delhi school,
he called out to me, “Anjali, come and sit here!”
pointing to the seat on his right. I went to him and
whispered that Shri Jagdeesh Prasadji’s daughter
was yet to be seated, but he said in a commanding
voice, “Sit down!” His face was grim. Whenever he
used that tone of voice, it was always prudent to do
as told without argument. I took a photo of him in
that grim expression, but dared not take another! I
got scared, for once! I wondered what I had done
wrong between telling him what had happened and
reaching the dining room. And I found out before
I had even put the first spoonful of cornflakes in
my mouth.
“If Gangaji asks you for something, don’t you have
the heart to give it?” he said. I could not believe
that Swamiji, who had shown such an interest in
the story, was chiding me over recovering his heart!
He knew what it meant to me. He also knew the
significance of giving this living, pulsating, vibrant
heart of his to Gangaji. I felt tears welling up in my
eyes. Pretending nonchalance, I put cornflakes in
my mouth and had a hard time swallowing.
Then Swamiji said again, “Some detachment is
necessary to gain something greater. If you don’t
give up something, a greater good can’t come to
you.” At this point I could no longer hold back the
16
emotional upsurge and it silently made its way out.
Uma Shergil came around and asked me if I wanted
to eat a dosa, but I asked her for a tissue instead. She
brought a pile of paper napkins and gave me one.
Swamiji said, “Take a few more.” I guess he knew
what was coming. Uma left the whole lot and also
a dosa on my plate. Swamiji passed me sambar from
his thali. I could not eat a thing. I smiled mistily
and apologetically, and then decided to change the
topic by cracking a joke.
I said to Swamiji, “Yesterday, you said in your
talk about the eight arrow marks to Brahman.
‘Changeless’ hit me the most. I asked Uma whether
any had hit her and she said, ‘Yes, all of them!’
‘Where,’ I asked her, ‘On the behind?’ ‘All over,’
she replied.” At this, Swamiji laughed loudly as did
we all. I thought with relief that the Gangaji topic
was over.
Immediately Swamiji said, “Ultimately all things
have their end in Gangaji. That is the final
resting place.” This time I replied defiantly, “I cannot give Her
your heart.”
“Then don’t grow up. Remain young!” he said.
At this point I stopped trying to control my
emotions and the silent tears flowed continuously,
even after we had got up from the table, for several
hours. I used up all the napkins. I now realize
that Swamiji was trying to make me face my
subconscious fears in his presence. Until that day
my mind had refused to ever entertain the slightest
thought about his leaving us. Whenever such a
thought would come, I would just push it away.
Indira Bharadwaj, the principal of Chinmaya
Vidyalaya in Delhi, pressed my hand in consolation
as we walked out of the dining room. Nobody
seemed to know what exactly was happening. She
said, “Don’t behave like a pagli (mad woman). So
what if Swamiji got cross with you. He doesn’t
mean it.” It seemed to them that I was overreacting
to something he said. This was almost the first time
in my 30 years with Swamiji that I was crying in
front of him. And it would not have happened had
his tone not bound me to that chair.
Later, I went out and sat alone with Krishna and the
heart in the lawns of the guest house, but the tears just
would not stop. Brahmachari Gopinath Chaitanya
from Uttarkashi (now Swami Dhyanananda) seemed
very concerned and watched from a distance for
about an hour. Perhaps he thought that the hysterical
woman might commit suicide!
It was now becoming evident to me what I must
do with the heart. So I took a lot of last minute
photos of Krishna and Swamiji’s heart together.
I wondered if I would actually be able to bring
myself to give his heart to Gangaji. It was the most
difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life.
Later, even his talk to the college students seemed
to be directed to me. It was all about detachment
at the mind level.
I realized that I did not really have a choice. I took a
ride along with Indira Bharadwaj and Col. Bhargava
in their car, and requested them if we could go via
Hari-Ki-Pauri, explaining all the details to Indira.
The thought of dispensing Swamiji’s symbolic
heart into Gangaji was nerve shattering. In the car
I found Indira sniffling. I said, “I was sad about the
heart and its dispensation into Gangaji, but why are
you crying?” She said it was for the same reason.
At Hari-Ki-Pauri, I went to the place where
Swamiji’s heart was seen by the pilgrim. Here,
Gangaji again received what was meant for Her in
the first place and what Swamiji wanted to give to
Her. This was a matter between them. I was only
the scapegoat, an outsider, an instrument, who had
tried to interfere in a ritual he had planned. He had
wanted to give his heart to Her. I should not have
asked Gangaji to return the heart; it would have
saved me the trauma of putting it back. Indira, who
was safe guarding my camera, took a picture of me
putting back the heart.
Swamiji had great love for Gangaji, at whose banks
in Rishikesh he had been drawn to religion and
initiated into sannyasa by Pujya Swami Sivananda
Maharaj. Later, at Her banks in Uttarkashi and
Gangotri, he had received from his teacher, Pujya
Swami Tapovanam Maharaj, the great knowledge
of the Self, of which She Herself is an embodiment.
Ganga represents the flow of Knowledge. She, by
example, inspired Swamiji to take Self-knowledge
down to the masses. Her presence in the form
of kalashas was installed by Swamiji in the
Jagadishvara Temple in Mumbai’s Powai ashram.
Ganga Strotam is chanted in Chinmaya Mission
17
centers all over the world. He had an extraordinary
and close relationship with Her, almost like that of
Bhishma Pitamaha. It is not possible that he would
go by Her for the last time without a befittingly
deep salute, consonant with the place She held in
his life. So, in recognition of this unique status, he
gave his heart to Her at their last meeting, knowing
that the rest of his embodiment he would give to
Mother Earth. Water and earth are the two channels
through which a mahatma’s form re-merges with
the elements; he gave his mortal forms to both.
Thank You!
by Sudha Rajan
Hari Om. I would like to express my heartfelt
gratitude to CM Vancouver for opening the doors
of Vedanta, the Gita, and other Hindu scriptures to
me and my friends in Vancouver. The knowledge
and the guidance gained through these classes have
brought immense changes to all aspects of my life.
These classes inspire and encourage me to constantly
improve myself and keep me focused on the path of
spirituality.The books in the CM library are varied
and affordable, and a great source of knowledge.
I applaud the members for their selfless seva in
carrying out Pujya Gurudev’s mission of spreading
the knowledge of our scriptures. My friends and I
are truly grateful for being given this opportunity
to evolve spiritually. Thank you! Hari Om.
®
CHINMAYA MISSION WEST
RESIDENTIAL VEDANTA COURSE 2010-2011
Blessed Self,
Hari OM! Chinmaya Mission West (CMW) is pleased to announce its One-Year
Residential Vedanta Course at CMW’s Headquarters, the ashram of Krishnalaya
in Northern California, amidst the serene Redwoods.
The Course will commence August 7, 2010 and end in August 2011. This
residential, full-time course, without holidays, will be conducted in English. The
classes will be taught in intervals by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda and
various Mission acharyas, such as Swami Shantananda, Swami Ishwarananda,
and Brahmachari Prabodh Chaitanya. Acharya Smt. Sharada Kumar will be the
full-time resident acharya at the Course.
This Course is open to sincere seekers between the ages of 20-70 years.
Texts and topics studied will include introductory Vedantic texts, select
Upanishads, the entire Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, devotional texts such as
Ramayana and Shrimad Bhagavatam, Vedic chants and hymns, Sanskrit,
guided meditation, and puja vidhi.
The Course Application is available online—www.chinmayamission.org/
krishnalaya—and may be submitted via e-mail. Applications received will
be reviewed and eligible candidates will be asked to schedule a personal
interview, the details of which will be provided at a later date. Additional
details will be posted on the website.
Course Registration: $12,000 (covers registration, room and board, and books;
amount is payable in installments)
Send e-mail applications/inquiries to: [email protected]
news
Mahasamadhi Camp 2009 Invitation
The Chinmaya Mahasamadhi Camp 2009, themed
on Shrimad Bhagavatam, will be conducted by
Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda, and hosted
by CM Toronto and CM Niagara Falls in Toronto,
Canada. Mark your calendars for July 29-August
3, 2009, and join us for memorable and blissful
satsanga. See pages 20-22 for details.
CM Toronto and Niagara Falls are now on full
steam ahead, planning vigorously for the upcoming
mahasamadhi camp, and inspired activities fill
the air at both ashrams, Chinmaya Shivalaya and
Chinmaya Dhara. Visit www.chinmayatoronto.org
and www.chinmayaniagara.org for news updates
and camp details.
ChinmayaChannel.com
by Madhu Sharma
During the inauguration of our Chinmaya Mithila
center in Tustin, California, Pujya Guruji Swami
Tejomayananda said, “Our Mithila center has to
be a spiritual powerhouse. You have to make it
a powerhouse.” He also spoke on the vision of
expansion. To help fulfill this vision and promote
spiritual growth for all, our resident acharya, Swami
Ishwarananda, began a monthly Vedanta webcast.
The Chinmaya Channel has helped me and
hundreds of others remotely watch the live sessions
from our computers, wherever we may be. I live 85
miles from the Mithila ashram and it is the closest
one in our area.
Spiritual energy has been pouring forth from
Mithila to all over the world, helping one and
all study Advaita Vedanta, the most profound
philosophy in Hinduism. Thanks to Raj Mantha
and a team of dedicated devotee-volunteers who
give tremendous time and effort to this project, the
Chinmaya Channel has been very well received by a
growing audience worldwide.
For me, the weekly early morning talks are the
boost I need to start a beautiful day. And the
evening talks are make the perfect end to my
day. The Saturday morning guided meditation
sessions and talks are like the icing on cake. I
19
feel like I am getting dessert after my week-long
spiritual feast of Vedantic talks filled with
Swamiji’s enthralling originality.
The Chinmaya Channel has also hosted other
acharyas’ talks and religious events, and I am so
very glad to have attended those as well.
Recently, the Chinmaya Channel started
broadcasting Swamiji’s teachings to Junior CHYKs
(high school students) and their parents during
the regular Sunday Bala Vihar session at Chinmaya
Mithila. I watch these too, for they are a source
of spiritual knowledge that help me better conduct
Bala Vihar classes and Study Groups in our area.
I hope the Chinmaya Channel strengthens in
viewership and continues to spread the wisdom
of our scriptures to every corner of the world. I
hope more and more devotees get motivated to
log in to www.chinmayachannel.com and connect
to their spiritual Self. Taking the time to learn
in this way is also an expression of gratitude to
our Pujya Gurudev and a sense of responsibility
toward future generations.
Puyja Guruji has said, “Vision without action is
imagination. Action without vision is division.
Action with vision is transformation.”
(In Hindi)
ab dūr kahā kaise Swamiji aur Mithila
jab se Chinmaya Channel se webcast hai nikalā
tab se to ghar āye hai Swamiji itanā
usī se ham ho gaye hai dhanya utanā
10,000 Photographs of Pujya Gurudev
The Chinmaya Photo Archives Project is a unique
and vast CD collection of Pujya Gurudev Swami
Chinmayananda’s photographs (over 10,000). It
also includes over 200 photographs of Pujya Guruji
Swami Tejomayananda and over 30 photographs of
Param Pujya Swami Tapovanam.
Long-time devotee and photographer Anjali Singh
began Phase 1 of this project in 2001, and delivered
over 6,400 photographs (from 5”x7” to 20”x30”
sizes) on CDs, in 2005.
Phase 2 is now complete and contains over 600
new poster-size photos and over 5,000 smaller size
(8”x12”) photos. Both the sets consist of exclusive
photographs that have been digitally scanned
directly from the negatives with one of the best
Hasselblad scanners. With such high resolution,
most of the photos can be printed in 40x60” size.
The most recent compilation contains Anjali
Singh’s original photos of Pujya Gurudev that
were taken during her travels with him across
five continents, from 1979 to 1993. Countries
covered include U.S.A., Canada, India,
Switzerland, France, U.K., Austria, Kenya,
Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan,
Malaysia, and Nepal.
Anjali Singh’s previous photo collections have
been featured in Chinmaya publications such as
Unto Him, Say Cheese, and the coffee table book,
Chinmaya Mission: Transforming Lives.
In the Samashti Havan, Hanuman Chalisa will
be chanted collectively and continually 108 times,
from morning to evening, with ahutis being offered
into 108 havan kunds. The event will be held at
the Andheri Sports Complex, where over 10,000
people are expected. Devotees may choose to
participate as chanters or as yajamans (in person or
proxy) who will sit at one of the 108 havan kunds.
Devotees worldwide are welcome to be yajamans
for as many rounds of chanting as they wish.
Devotees may also assign proxies to offer the ahutis
into the havan kund on their behalf. In this rare
blessing of jnana, bhakti, and karma yoga, all are
welcome to join.
Family Yajaman sponsorships are available in
various categories: $25,000, $11,000, and $2,500.
Individual Yajaman sponsorships are in various
categories: $400 (perform 108 times chanting and
havan for full day: 4 slots, 3 hours each), $100 (28
times), and $25 (7 times, 45 minutes). Children
and youth, ages 6-21 years, have their own yajaman
category of $10 to perform chanting and havan 7
times, for 45 minutes.
Sponsors of this project receive a free full set of the
entire CD photo collection. Sponsorship is $5,000
and remittance should be sent to Central Chinmaya
Mission Trust in India. Persons wanting to sponsor
this project should first contact Anjali Singh at
[email protected].
All yajamans may opt for multiple slot sponsorships.
Offering chanting without havan is free and open
to all; pre-registration is required. Additional
sponsorships of Rs. 1 lakh are open to all: Prasad
Yajaman (sponsors prasad for all attendees),
Dravya Yajaman (sponsors ghee, firewood, and
havan samagri), and Arati Yajaman (daily arati).
CM Mumbai Hosts Hanuman Chalisa
Maha Yajna and Samashti Havan
All donations are tax-exempt under IT 80G. To
make a wire transfer, e-mail ccmt@chinmayamission.
com. Checks payable to “Central Chinmaya Mission
Trust” may be mailed with all details to CCMT,
Saki Vihar Road, Powai, Mumbai 400 072 India.
Chinmaya Mission Mumbai will host Swami
Swaroopananda’s 100th jnana yajna on Hanuman
Chalisa, February 3-10, 2009, in Lokhandwala
Garden, Andheri West. The grand finale of this
maha yajna of morning and evening talks, on
“Minding the Mind” (talks on Kenopanishad)
and “The Secret of Success (talks on Hanuman
Chalisa), respectively, will be the Hanuman Chalisa
Samashti Havan on February 15.
Swami Swaroopananda is a world-renowned public
speaker on Hanuman Chalisa and Sankata Mochan,
through both of which he invokes devotion and
surrender. His spiritual teachings on managerial
and social topics have been lauded as insightful and
powerful. For more than 20 years, Swamiji has held
audiences around the world spellbound.
23
For specific questions, contact CM Mumbai:
www.chinmayamission.com/hanumanhavan
[email protected]
Cell: (91) 932-011-4646/47/48/49/50
CHYK Toronto Leaps Forward
Report submitted by CM Toronto
CHYK Toronto has expanded its program by
launching satellite discussion groups in downtown
Toronto and suburban Mississauga, in order to
more effectively reach out to the young professional
and student populations. Both groups have seen
27tthh Annual Vedic Heritage Youth Camps 2009
Religious Classes * Puja, Prayers, & Chanting
Cultural Programs * Recreation * Fun Fair
Venue
Venue
“Badri” Ashram
“Yamunotri” Ashram
11 S80 Rt. 83, Willowbrook, IL 60527
30877 N. Fairfield Rd., Grayslake, IL 60030
July 13-19, 2009
August 10-16, 2009
Themes
Grades 9-12
Life is a Gift and Living Is an Art
Grades KG-8
Holy Places and Temples of India
Theme
Shri Krishna Lila
Conducted by
Chinmaya Mission Acharyas
Conducted by
Chinmaya Mission Acharyas
Daily Timings
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Daily Timings
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Registration
1 child: $200
2 Siblings: $375
3 or more Siblings: $450
Partial Attendance: $50/day (min. 2 days)
Free accommodation and local transportation
for out-of-state children 10 years or older
Registration
1 child: $200
2 Siblings: $375
3 or more Siblings: $450
Partial Attendance: $50/day (min. 2 days)
Free accommodation and local transportation
for out-of-state children 10 years or older
Contacts
Shanker Pillai
Ashok Dholakia
630-886-6442
708-349-6396
Contacts
Ashok Bhatia
Rajul Bhalala
Shubi Mansukhani
847-680-4735
847-302-2383
847-680-8555
great success and are growing rapidly. Acharya
Vivek Gupta leads these discussion groups, and has
inspired many with his innovative and refreshing
approach to spirituality.
resounding success, was held at the Crown Plaza
Resort in Anaheim, on Saturday, November 8, 2008.
See photos on page 26.
In one recent session, the blockbuster movie, The
Dark Knight, was examined through the lens of
Vedanta. In addition to core content, the discussion
groups regularly spend time exploring relevant
movies, articles, YouTube videos, and more, all
of which help portray the universal application of
Vedanta in modern times.
Learn Vedic Chanting Online
CHYK Toronto was also exclusively featured at
“Hindufest,” an annual Hindu Youth Network
(Canada’s largest Hindu youth movement)
event. CHYK Toronto’s books and information
stall, and Vivekji’s interactive session on “Mind
Games,” drew a lot of interest. CHYK Toronto
is focused on diversifying its program, which
includes unique movie sessions, workshops, and
community service projects.
Easy-to-learn recitations by Swami Ishwarananda
(CM Tustin) are offered for various suktams
(hymns on Vedic deities). Most of these popular
Vedic hymns have been selected from Rg Veda
and are chanted for spiritual upliftment—to help
develop love for God and calmness of mind. The
hymns taught online include Purusha Suktam,
Narayana Suktam, Durga Suktam, Medha Suktam,
Laghunyasa, Rudra Prashna, and Chamakam.
Visit www.chinmayala.org/Vedic-Chanting/vedic_
chanting.html.
CM Trinidad: Never a Dull Moment
Report submitted by CM Trinidad
For the past few months, Chinmaya Ashram
Trinidad has been absolutely buzzing with activity.
To start off, July saw our Bala Vihar Camp,
a one-week day camp held at the ashram that
attracted 80 kids and teens.
CM Los Angeles: Sevanjali 2008
CM Los Angeles celebrated its annual Sevanjali
fundraiser with a stellar music concert by one of
India’s most accomplished classical music artists:
Shubha Mudgal. Born in a musically dedicated
family, Shubhaji has studied under some of the finest
musicians and musicologists in India. Trained by
Pandit Ram Ashreya Jha in Allahabad, from whom
she still receives instruction, Shubhaji later moved
to Delhi, where she received the guidance of Pandit
Vinaya Chandra Maudgalya and Pandit Vasant
Thakar. She went on to learn stylistic techniques from
well-known maestros Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki and
Pandit Kumar Gandharva. She also received training
in thumri from Smt. Naina Devi, and is thus one of
the most versatile and popular performers of the new
generation of Hindustani musicians.
Sevanjali 2008, a devotional offering and a
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Soon after came our Chinmaya Vidyalaya’s
graduation ceremony. This was our first graduating
class from Chinmaya Vidyalaya Trinidad and
100% of the students passed the Caribbean
Secondary Education Certificate examinations.
Our valedictorian and top achiever was Utradaye
Ramcharan. Other top achievers were Kirti Singh
and Naresh Surujdeo-Maharaj.
CM Los Angeles
Sevanjali 2008
All the arms of Chinmaya Mission came together
for a grand Family Day on October 5, wherein
Mission members were seen racing, sprinting,
eating, and singing. The event featured horseback
riding, a clown, a magician, face painting, a bounce
castle, and many more fun fair activities. It was a
day to relax and just be!
CM Ottawa’s Youth Camp, held in November
2008, was a resounding success. Swami
Dheerananda did an absolutely magnificent job
and the kids had an experience they will remember
forever. The sound of the japa beads turning
and the campers’ heartfelt commitment to the
Chinmaya Pledge is what I will remember most.
Divali brought about a unique experience with
the specially constructed Divali Nagar, or
“Divali City.” For all the ten days before Divali,
many Hindu organizations came together to
display the highlights of their organization in
the Nagar. Chinmaya Mission was also allotted
a booth at this Nagar. The booth exhibited
the various arms of the Mission, including the
Vidyalaya, Yuva Kendra, and publications. Many
purchased a number of Mission publications; it
was an excellent opportunity to create awareness
and promote of the work of the Mission.
CM Trinidad’s 18-month old Vedanta course
is progressing well with resident achar ya,
Swami Prakashananda.
Upcoming events include the
Bhagavad Gita Symposium,
Vidyalaya Annual Yajna, and
Grand Banquet. There is never a
this Mission center!
Swamiji’s concluding talk and dinner with the
parents was outstanding. Just before the parents
arrived, Swamiji had each child perform paduka
puja; their rice offerings were placed on Gurudev’s
padukas. Swamiji then told the parents, “Before
you leave tonight, you and your child must go to
the puja room, take a handful of rice, and cook
it on Tapovan Jayanti (December 12). At that
meal, your child must tell you everything he learnt
during these 72 hours.” Swamiji made sure the
“Om namah Shivaya” tape was on and every family
went in to pray or meditate. The mood was so
powerful; I have no words to explain it. But this I
know: They all experienced Him.
CHYK Annual
the Chinmaya
CM Trinidad’s
dull moment at
CM Ottawa Youth Camp
by Bina Sutarwala
CM Toronto’s Memorable 2008
Report submitted by CM Toronto
CM Toronto’s musical extravaganza at the
ashram in October featured Abhisek Lahiri, a
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Bhajan/Music CDs
Sung by
Bhagavat Sankirtan
Swami Tejomayananda
Bhakti Kusuma
Subalakshmi Krishnamoorthy
Ekata
Motivational songs by Yuva Veers
Dasa Vani (Kannada)
Vidyashri, Chaitanya
Hanuman Vandana
Ashit, Hema, Aalaap Desai
Vinayaka
Subhalakshmi Krishnamoorthy
Stuti Ranjini
Subhalakshmi Krishnamoorthy
Smara Varam
Subhlakshmi Krishnamoorthy
Discourse CDs MP3
Talks by
Bhaja Govindam
Swami Chinmayananda
A Dialogue on Dating, Pittsburgh 1984
Swami Chinmayananda
Gurudev with Bala Vihar and CHYKs
Swami Chinmayananda (1h49m)
Narada Bhakti Sutra
Swami Chinmayananda (9h7m)
Mundaka Upanishad, Pittsburgh 1989
Swami Chinmayananda (10h10m)
Q&A, Sidhabari
Swami Chinmayananda (2h1m)
Q&A, New York 1981
Swami Chinmayananda (2h1m)
Q&A, Guelph 1987
Swami Chinmayananda (2h56m)
Q&A, Flint 1990
Swami Chinmayananda (2h2m)
Overview of Vedanta, San Francisco 1985
Swami Chinmayananda (1h)
Ramana Chintana
Swami Brahmananda
Kathopanishad, Toronto
Swami Chinmayananda (2h18m)
Rama Gita
Swami Chinmayananda
Ramacharitamanasa: Uttara Kanda
Swami Tejomayananda (set of 4)
Chanting CDs MP3
Chanted by
Gita Chanting
Swami Brahmananda
Rudram Chamakam
Brahmacharis, Mumbai
Vedic Chants: Taitteriya Upanishad
Swami Brahmananda
Vedic Chants: Narayana Upanishad
Pt. Ravichandran, T.S. Vaidyanathan
Discourse CDs
Talks by
CEO: Chief Executive Officer
Swami Swaroopananda
Gayatri Mantra
Swami Swaroopananda
Sankat Mochan
Swami Swaroopananda
Inspiration from the Upanishads
Swami Tejomayananda
Mandukya Upanishad
Swami Chinmayananda
Sadhana Panchakam, Toronto/Boston 1981-2
Swami Chinmayananda
Rama Gita, Sidhabari
Swami Chinmayananda
You Change, Calcutta 1992
Swami Chinmayananda
Win the Mind, Win the World (Management)
Swami Swaroopananda
Why Me? (A Woman’s Inherent Beauty)
Swami Swaroopananda
Hastamalaka Stotram
Swami Purushottamananda
Vakya Vrtti, Chennai 1982
Swami Chinmayananda
Bhaja Govindam
Swami Chinmayananda
Mundaka Upanishad, Maryland 2008
Swami Tejomayananda
Children’s Books
Author
Boogie Woogie Ganesha
Brahmacharini Nishita Chaitanya
Books for CHYK/Adults
Author
Values in the Work Place
Mananam Series
Living in the Present
Mananam Series
Himalayan Hermit
Radhika Krishnakumar
www.chinmayapublications.com
www.chinmayapublications.org
(888) CMW-READ
jnana yajna hosted by CM Phoenix during
Thanksgiving weekend, November 27-30,
2008. The three-day event focused on Chapter
2 as a primer for new students.
young, award-winning sarod musician, who won
the hearts of his listeners. Having trained under
his father and guru, Pandit Alok Lahiri, he now
travels all over the world with his art.
Swamiji’s first lecture on November 27 was held at
the Ekta Mandir in Phoenix. Pandit Satyanarayan
Sastry warmly welcomed Swamiji to the temple.
The event was well attended by CM members,
temple members, and the local Indian community.
Swamiji was pleased to note that his first lecture
was also attended by some of CM Phoenix’s Bala
Vihar children, who were attentive throughout.
A warm and wonderful evening of family love
and bonding completed our Divali celebrations
in early November, ushering in much joy and
many friends. It was a fun-filled event with lots
of music, games, prizes, surprises for the entire
family, and a great meal.
Two “Silence Retreats” were conducted in
October by our resident acharya, Swamini
Shivapriyananda, who reminded us that we can
all make a conscious effort to practice silence
sincerely and regularly, despite our noisy daily
lives. She not only talked about silence, but also
asked the participants to practice silence as they
walked around the serene ashram grounds just
observing, reflecting, and staying in the moment.
Swamiji explained that Chapter 2 is a comprehensive
summary of the entire Gita-philosophy. Having
selected some significant verses in the chapter,
he went on to expound their meanings and
philosophical contexts. He elaborated extensively
on Verse 47, which is so often misquoted and
mostly misunderstood. He explained that in the
true spirit of the verse, we should choose our
work, work without expectations in the service of
the Lord, and not remain idle. He [reiterated what
Gurudev wrote in Secret of Action:] Those who
work selfishly are labourers. Those who work for
oneself as well as others are workers. Those who
work selflessly are achievers.
A precursor to this retreat was a meditation
retreat held earlier in the year, by Barry Dykes,
who had completed the Mission’s brahmachari
course in 1978. Barry spoke on the importance
of meditation and of his personal encounters
with Pujya Gurudev and meetings with Shri
Nisargadatta Maharaj.
Devotees experienced a deeply inspiring and
memorable session in early 2008, with our two
resident acharyas—Swaminiji and Brahmachari
Prabhat Chaitnaya—Acharya Vivek Gupta
(CM Toronto), and various devotees, who all
reminisced about Pujya Gurudev and Guruji. The
satsanga went on for three hours, and even then
no one wanted it to come to an end.
The second discourse was held at the Horizon
Park Community Center and had an even bigger
audience. The lecture was well received by the
large group. Families with young children were
provided childcare by the Mission’s Bala Vihar
teachers. Here, Swamji spoke about the flow of the
Upanishadic teaching, “Tat tvam asi,” in the Gita.
He explained that the first six chapters expound
on tvam (“thou”), the second six address Tat
(“That”), and the last six chapters connect with
CM Phoenix Hosts "Essence of Gita"
by Nirmal Mangal
The “Essence of Bhagavad Gita” was the
theme of Swami Ishawarananda’s (CM Tustin)
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asi (“art”). Swamiji also explained the process of
meditation that is based on the teachings of Puranas
and Upanishads, and led a brief guided session. His
talks were so well received that at the bookstall, all
the three books he authored, got sold out.
In the third and final discourse, which was also very
well attended, Swamji spoke about “the man of
steady wisdom.” He explained that one is considered
a man of steady wisdom when one has exhausted
all the desires in his mind, one is undisturbed in
sorrow or joy, and one has the ability to withdraw
from external stimulants. In response to a question
from the audience about the difference between
destiny and free will, Swamiji said. “That 24 hours
given to you is destiny. What you do in these 24
hours is free will.” Swamiji went on to detail the
art and science of meditation further, and gave
some practical tips on how to get started in one’s
practice. He explained that the intent is to change
the mind from many thoughts to no thoughts at
all, to revel in silence. He concluded his lecture
with a meditation session.
CHYKs, approximately 50 in number and primarily
comprised of Chinmaya Bala Vihar alumni, were
excited to meet and experience a sense of belonging
and a special niche in the Chinmaya Family.
Every year, the event features games with a “hidden”
lesson. This year, the games centered on taking
responsibility to keep Hinduism and Hindu culture
alive and vibrant, and on carefully assessing choices
in life. The reunion concluded with a discussion on
how to keep the CHYK movement active in the
U.S. CHYK Ann Arbor chose to form a Facebook
community and meet more often throughout the
year in order to share ideas and provide support to
the Mission.
Following the two-hour CHYK program,
Thanksgiving dinner for the entire Chinmaya Family
began with the chanting of the maha-mrtyunjaya
mantra and a moment of silence for all the victims of
the Mumbai attacks. In praying and offering thanks
to the Lord for the feast, everyone chanted ten
shanti mantras from ten Upanishads (as suggested
by Swamini Sheelananda a few years ago during her
visit to Avantika) and Gita Chapter 15.
Thanksgiving dinner at Chinmaya Avantika consists
of the great menu that was created two decades
ago: Stuffed masala dosa, cranberry chutney, corn
vadas, and pumpkin halva, followed by other items
like bhel puri, vegetables and dip, tamarind rice,
yogurt rice, pakodas, mithais, and the most famous
of all, mango fruit punch!
Swamiji’s visit to Phoenix has been a great blessing
for its members and the community, and was a
wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving weekend—in
satsanga. CM Phoenix has received much positive
feedback, and with renewed enthusiasm, plans are
underway for the center’s next jnana yajna in
Spring 2009.
Over 1,200 family members celebrated and feasted
together, enjoying the eagerly awaited grand
finale of antakshari, played by young and old.
Many non-CM guests commented on the event’s
uniqueness and the sense of family with which
everyone participated to make it a great success.
Chinmaya Sanjeevani Is Blossoming
by Vaishali Tanna
CHYK Ann Arbor: Thanksgiving Reunion
by Sangita Shivakumar
CM Ann Arbor held its third Annual CHYK
Thanksgiving Get-Together in November 2008.
While every year Chinmaya Avantika has its usual
Masala Dosa Fest for a hungry crowd of a thousand,
this event has now become a tradition for the CHYKs
to have a reunion of their own. All the attending
32
With the immense grace of our Pujya Gurudev,
and the love and blessings of our Pujya Guruji,
Chinmaya Sanjeevani of Pittsburgh has been active
and growing since the inauguration of the ashram
and Hanuman temple in August 2008.
One of the key milestones for Chinmaya
Sanjeevani was the launch of the Chinmaya
Bala Vihar program in October. With the great
support of our Chinmaya Mission Family and our
enthusiastic sevaks, the program currently has 48
children enrolled, with growing interest throughout
the community. The children are learning in five
different grade groups, each group is named after a
different name of Lord Hanuman.
themed as a tribute to M.S. Subbalakshmi, in
November. Both events were well supported
by the Chinmaya Bala Vihar families and other
community members.
Since its inauguration, Chinmaya Sanjeevani
has hosted many programs, including a Divali
celebration in October and a fundraising concert,
33
In
addition,
Sanjeevani has
successfully
commenced an adult study group with more than
30 participants and a hatha yoga class that has
more than 20 participants. A spoken Sanskrit class
is to begin in the coming weeks, along with other
cultural activities.